Maamme

Maamme / Vårt land

The anthem of Finland: a Swedish poem by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, set to music by Fredrik Pacius and first sung on 13 May 1848.

Words
Johan Ludvig Runeberg (Swedish); Julius Krohn (Finnish translation)
Music
Fredrik Pacius
Culture
Finns, Swedish- and Finnish-speaking; the Finnish state
Language
Swedish, Finnish
Place
Finland
Date
poem written 1846, printed 1848; first performed 13 May 1848
Type
Anthem
The words
Public domain (Swedish words by Johan Ludvig Runeberg (written 1846, printed 1848); music by Fredrik Pacius (1848); Finnish text by Julius Krohn (1867))

The story

"Maamme" ("Our Land"), known by its original Swedish title as "Vårt land", is the de facto national anthem of Finland. Its words are the prologue to Johan Ludvig Runeberg's verse cycle The Tales of Ensign Stål (Fänrik Ståhls sägner), a classic example of Romantic nationalism. The poem, written in Swedish in 1846 but not printed until 1848, has eleven stanzas. The music was composed by the German immigrant Fredrik Pacius, who is said to have written the tune in four days, and the song was first performed on 13 May 1848.

The Finnish text sung today is usually credited to Paavo Cajander's 1889 translation of Ensign Stål, but it in fact comes from the 1867 translation by Julius Krohn. In the 1880s and again in the 1920s there were attempts to replace the song with one written in Finnish, but these ceased by the 1930s. The song was popular throughout the 19th century, yet it gained its present position only after Pacius's death. Its melody is also used for the Estonian anthem "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" ("My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy") and for the Livonian anthem "Min izāmō" ("My Fatherland").

No law makes "Maamme" the anthem, in the way that laws define Finland's coat of arms and flag; its place has been established by convention, and in 2018 the Government of Finland described it as the "Finnish national anthem". Its status is still debated from time to time. Some Finns would prefer "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius, with words by V. A. Koskenniemi in Finnish and Joel Rundt in Swedish: opposing legislative initiatives in the Finnish Parliament in 2003 proposed making either "Maamme" or the Finlandia Hymn the official anthem, a citizens' initiative of 2014 asked for the Finlandia Hymn, and in 2016 members of the National Coalition Party campaigned for it, but opinion in the party was divided and the campaign fell short.

In practice "Maamme" serves as the national anthem: it is played during state visits and represents Finland at international sporting events. Usually only the first and the last verses are sung. When Finnish and Swedish speakers are gathered together, three verses are sung: the first in Finnish, the first in Swedish and the last in Finnish.

What it says

A hymn of love for the homeland: the singers declare that no land, however rich or fair, is dearer to them than their own poor northern country, honour its forebears' struggles, and end in the hope that its future will one day flower. The mood is earnest and tender.

The words

Vårt land, vårt land, vårt fosterland,Our land, our land, our Fatherland!

Ljud högt, o dyra ord!Ring out, dear word, oh sound!

Ej lyfts en höjd mot himlens rand,No rising hill, or mountain grand,

Ej sänks en dal, ej sköljs en strand,No sloping dale, no northern strand,

Mer älskad än vår bygd i nord,There is, more loved, to be found,

Än våra fäders jord.Than this — our fathers’ ground.

Vårt land är fattigt, skall så bliOur land is poor, and so shall be

För den, som guld begär,To him who gold will crave.

En främling far oss stolt förbi;The strangers proudly pass, but we

Men detta landet älska vi,Shall ever love this land, we see,

För oss med moar, fjäll och skärIn moor, and fell, and isle and wave,

Ett guldland dock det är.A golden land, so brave.

Vi älska våra strömmars brusWe love our rippling brooks, so bright,

Och våra bäckars språng,Our gushing streams, so strong,

Den mörka skogens dystra sus,The whisper of dark woods, at night,

Vår stjärnenatt, vårt sommarljus,Our starry skies, our summer light,

Allt, allt, vad här som syn, som sångAll, all that we, in sight and song,

Vårt hjärta rört en gång.Have felt and lived among.

Show all 66 lines

Här striddes våra fäders stridHere fought our fathers, without fear,

Med tanke, svärd och plog,With sword, and plough, and thought.

Här, här, i klar som mulen tid,And here, in clouded times, and clear,

Med lycka hård, med lycka blid,With fortune in their front or rear,

Det finska folkets hjärta slog,Their Finnish hearts have beat, and wrought

Här bars, vad det fördrog.And borne what bear they ought.

Vem täljde väl de striders tal,Who tells, of all the fights, the tale,

Som detta folk bestod,In which this folk withstood,

Då kriget röt från dal till dal,When war did rage from dale to dale,

Då frosten kom med hungerns kval,When frost set in, with hunger’s wail?

Vem mätte allt dess spillda blodWho measured all their pouring blood,

Och allt dess tålamod?And all their patience good?

Och det var här, det blodet flöt,And it was here their blood was shed,

Ja, här för oss det var,For us, here, on this shore;

Och det var här, sin fröjd det njöt,And it was here their joys were bred,

Och det var här, sin suck det göt,Here, that their sighs were heaved and fled,

Det folk, som våra bördor barThat people’s who our burdens bore

Långt före våra dar.Before us, long before.

Här är oss ljuvt, här är oss gott,Here it is sweet and good, we wot,

Här är oss allt beskärt;All, too, is giv’n us here;

Hur ödet kastar än vår lott,However fate may cast our lot,

Ett land, ett fosterland vi fått,A land, a fatherland, we’ve got.

Vad finns på jorden mera värtWill there a thing on earth appear

Att hållas dyrt och kärt?More worthy, to hold dear?

Och här och här är detta land,And here’s, and here’s this fatherland,

vårt öga ser det här;Here every eye it sees;

Vi kunna sträcka ut vår handAnd we can stretch a pointing hand,

Och visa glatt på sjö och strandTo show, with joy, its sea and strand,

Och säga: se det landet där,And say, “Behold this country, this,

Vårt fosterland det är!Our Fatherland it is.”

Och fördes vi att bo i glansAnd if we once were made to rise

Bland guldmoln i det blå,To gold clouds, from below,

Och blev vårt liv en stjärnedans,And if we moved in starry skies,

Där tår ej göts, där suck ej fanns,Where no one weeps, where no one sighs,

Till detta arma land ändåTo this poor lonely country, though,

Vår längtan skulle stå.Our longing hearts would go.

O land, du tusen sjöars land,Oh land, the thousand lakes’ own land,

Där sång och trohet byggt,Of faith, and lay, and glee,

Där livets hav oss gett en strand,Where life’s main sea gave us a strand,

Vår forntids land, vår framtids land,Our fore-time’s land, our future’s land,

Var för din fattigdom ej skyggt,Shy of thy poorness, never be,

Var fritt, var glatt, var tryggt!Be calm, be glad, be free!

Din blomning, sluten än i knopp,Thy blossom, hidden now from sight,

Skall mogna ur sitt tvång;Shall burst its bud ere long.

Se, ur vår kärlek skall gå oppLo! from our love, shall rise aright,

Ditt ljus, din glans, din fröjd, ditt hopp,Thy sun, thy hope, thy joy, thy light,

Och högre klinga skall en gångAnd higher, once, more full and strong,

Vår fosterländska sång.Shall ring Our Country’s song.

Original: Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Fänrik Ståls sägner (1848). Text from Wikisource; public domain.

English: tr. Anna Krook (1904). Text from Wikisource; public domain.

Listen

On YouTube, from the channel Polyteknikkojen Kuoro - Topic. Pressing play loads YouTube’s player. Watch on YouTube

What it inspired

  • Maamme, Finnish translation by Julius Krohn 1867translation
  • Finnish translation of The Tales of Ensign Stål by Paavo Cajander 1889translation
  • Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (anthem of Estonia)same melody
  • Min izāmō (Livonian anthem)same melody

People, places and events

Johan Ludvig RunebergFredrik PaciusJulius KrohnPaavo CajanderJean SibeliusV. A. KoskenniemiJoel RundtFinlandEstonia

Sources

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Maamme. In Songs in History. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/maamme
MLA
“Maamme.” Songs in History, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/maamme. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Maamme.” Songs in History. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/maamme.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Maamme’, Songs in History. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/songs/maamme (Accessed: ).

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